DIY Glowing Galaxy Bats: A Starry Craft for Kids

Turn a handful of paper bats into a tiny glowing universe! These DIY Glowing Galaxy Bats combine colorful nebula patterns, speckled stars, and glow-in-the-dark details for a craft that feels equally at home at a Halloween party or a space-themed playdate.

Each bat can have its own cosmic personality—swirls of violet, clouds of blue, or a bright constellation stretching across its wings. Best of all, kids can explore color and texture without needing every bat to look the same.

Supplies You’ll Need

• Black cardstock or sturdy craft paper
• A bat template, or paper for drawing your own
• Pencil
• Child-safe scissors
• Washable craft paints in purple, blue, pink, and white
• Non-toxic glow-in-the-dark craft paint suitable for children
• Small paintbrushes and a sponge
• A paper plate or paint palette
• A table covering
• Removable mounting putty for displaying the finished bats

Optional: A hole punch and string for a hanging display. Keep string out of reach of young children, and avoid hanging decorations above beds or cribs.

How to Make Glowing Galaxy Bats

1. Draw and Cut Out Your Bats

Draw a bat shape on black cardstock, giving it a small body, pointed ears, and wide wings. You can also trace a reusable template.

For a symmetrical bat, fold the paper in half and draw half the shape along the fold. Cut through both layers, then unfold.

Make several sizes for a more interesting display. An adult should help younger children with cutting.

2. Sponge on Your Galaxy Colors

Pour small amounts of blue, purple, and pink paint onto a paper plate. Dip a sponge lightly into one color, dab off the excess, and press it onto the bat’s wings.

Layer the colors in loose patches rather than covering the entire surface. Leaving some black visible creates the look of deep space between colorful clouds.

Encourage kids to experiment: a little pink over blue can create a dreamy nebula effect.

3. Add Tiny Stars

Let the colored paint dry, then use a fine paintbrush to dot white stars across the wings and body.

Vary the size and spacing of the dots. A few larger stars surrounded by tiny specks will make the galaxy pattern feel more detailed. Children can also connect a few dots with thin lines to invent their own constellations.

4. Paint the Glowing Details

Add glow-in-the-dark paint to selected stars, wing edges, or constellation shapes.

For a stronger effect, place the glowing paint over dry white details where appropriate for your chosen product. Some glow paints show up poorly on dark backgrounds, so testing a small scrap first is helpful.

Follow the paint label for application and drying instructions. Keep paint away from eyes and mouths, and wash hands after crafting.

5. Let Everything Dry

Lay the bats flat until all paint layers are fully dry. Thick glow-paint dots may take longer than the thin background colors, so avoid stacking the bats too soon.

6. Charge and Reveal the Glow

Expose the finished bats to light according to the glow paint’s instructions, then dim the room and watch their celestial details appear.

Glow-in-the-dark paint needs charging and gradually fades—it won’t stay bright all night or illuminate a room like a lamp. Recharge the bats whenever you want another glowing reveal!

Creative Ways to Display Your Galaxy Bats

• Build a bat constellation wall: Arrange them in a sweeping curve using removable mounting putty suitable for your wall.
• Decorate a space party: Place the bats around paper planets and stars.
• Create a Halloween sky: Pair them with a large paper moon for a cosmic twist on spooky décor.
• Make a galaxy backdrop: Attach the bats to a dark poster board and add painted stars around them.

Make It a Little Learning Adventure

Ask children to name their imaginary galaxies or describe where their bats might travel. You can also talk about how real bats are mammals, not birds, and how many are active at night.

For a simple observation activity, compare how the painted details look immediately after charging and a few minutes later. Let kids describe the changes they notice.

A Little Spooky, a Little Starry

Glowing galaxy bats bring together the fun of Halloween and the wonder of outer space in one colorful project. Whether your child paints carefully mapped constellations or wild clouds of cosmic color, the result is a nighttime decoration that’s entirely their own.